প্রেসক্রিপশনের পাতা থেকে...

২৪ মার্চ, ২০১২

What do we first imagine when we think of TB? Most probably all of us image a sick-looking person coughing so violently that his whole body is shaking. That's just a form of tuberculosis. It can effect Gastrointestinal Tract, Lymph Nodes, Internal Genitalia, almost all other parts of body including Brain. TB affecting Respiratory Tract is most common and probably most discussed. In developing countries it's a common occurrence. In medical science it's called Pulmonary Form of Tuberculosis. TB affecting other organs even affecting cover of lungs, that is "pleura" fall under the term of Extra-pulmonary Tuberculosis.

The term Disseminated Tuberculosis use to mean Involvement of 2 or more organs by TB. Pulmonary Tuberculosis is quite easy to detect, as symptom complex are have more characteristic features like Cough, Weight Loss and Evening rise of Temperature. Any Cough that persists more than 3 weeks gives a suspicion of Tuberculosis & Should be properly screened by Sputum Examination and Tuberculin (A Marker associated with TB) Test. On the other hand Extra-pulmonary TB is varies in symptom, A TB affecting Gastrointestinal Tract is doesn't present classically, and often hard to detect. Medicine is finding problem not only with detection of Tuberculosis that presents with various form but also with treatment. Multi Drug Resistant TB is emerging from the mutation of TB Bacteria so classical drugs are losing it's function. New second generation drugs are more toxic and have more side effect and those are not good enough like first generation drugs too. A Multi-drug resistant TB infected person can transmit disease to another person who will have same MDR TB.

All form of tuberculosis is giving headache of Health workers as well as Government nowadays. Treatment cost is rising due to MDR TB. Still we are in hope of controlling it someday. Today, 24th March is World Tuberculosis Day and we are in hope of seeing a Tuberculosis Free World some day ahead. World will certainly be a better place without Tuberculosis.